Tiftö Foundation makes a significant donation to HAM

Tiftö Foundation is a non-profit foundation established by Rafaela Seppälä in 2019 to promote Finnish contemporary art and the careers of artists internationally. At its’ own discretion it grants financial support to partners who further the foundation’s goals. The €120 000 donation to HAM is intended to cover the fees and production costs for one artist for the 2025 Helsinki Biennial. 

"Our donation to HAM and the Helsinki Biennial is the first step in what we hope will be a long-term collaboration to realise the foundation's goal of promoting the visibility of Finnish artists abroad and supporting their work. HAM, located in our home city of Helsinki, is an excellent springboard for Finnish art, and the Helsinki Biennial, as an ambitious event, is one of the key promoters of Finnish art. We expect a lot from the cooperation that has now begun," says Rafaela Seppälä, Chair of the Board of Tiftö Foundation. 

"It is great to announce this collaboration at the end of HAM's first year as a foundation. Tiftö Foundation's grant is meaningful to us in many ways, and it creates even more faith and enthusiasm for the future of HAM and the Helsinki Biennial. Our aim is to make Helsinki Biennial one of the most well-known international art biennials, and at the same time help to focus international attention on the Finnish art scene. Tiftö Foundation's donation is both a support and an incentive for us to reach this," says Arja Miller, Director of HAM and Helsinki Biennial. 

For more information:  

• Arja Miller, Director of HAM and Helsinki Biennial, arja.miller@hamhelsinki.fi,
  tel. 050 336 1980  
• Rafaela Seppälä, Chair of the Board of Tiftö Foundation, rafaela@rscollection.fi 

Helsinki Biennial, held every two years, is an international contemporary art event. The biennial is a joint project for the City of Helsinki and part of the Helsinki City Strategy 2021–2025. The head curators of Helsinki Biennial 2025 are Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen. The biennial is curated and produced by HAM Helsinki Art Museum.
helsinkibiennial.fi 

HAM Helsinki Art Museum is one of the most significant art museums in Finland and the Nordic region. HAM actively curates a broad international exhibition program and houses a rich collection of over 10,000 artworks, which includes the city of Helsinki’s public art collection. HAM is responsible for art conservation, curation, public art commissions, and acquisitions within Helsinki’s art collection, encompassing both domestic and international works. Furthermore, HAM oversees organizing the ambitious contemporary art event Helsinki Biennial. Since 2023, HAM has operated as a foundation under the Helsinki City Group’s umbrella. 
hamhelsinki.fi

Tiftö Foundation promotes the visibility of Finnish contemporary art and the careers of artists internationally. Acting as a non-profit intermediary between Finnish artists and international actors, curators and museums, Tiftö Foundation seeks to attract international attention to Finnish art and design. The foundation possesses a growing collection of Finnish contemporary art, which it lends to exhibitions in Finland and abroad. 
tiftofoundation.fi